


The colour of dreams

by Mialienes



Category: Super Junior, Super Junior-M
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-17
Updated: 2013-09-17
Packaged: 2017-12-26 21:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/970245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mialienes/pseuds/Mialienes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zhou Mi is a painter who paints the impossible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The colour of dreams

In an otherwise empty room, washed white with sunlight, Zhou Mi hums softly in a toneless murmur. He's dreaming - dreaming through the paintbrush in his hand, through the strokes and colours he swirls on the canvas in front of him.

During the day, Zhou Mi paints dreams into reality. As grey shadows crawl their way through the large windows and stalk their way across the paint splattered floor, he wakes.

*

The city seems softer when it rains. The traffic quiets under the thrum of raindrops falling on roofs and the footpath. The streets glow. 

Kyuhyun dumps his umbrella into a rubbish bin and heads to the shelter of his favourite cafe. A big gust of wind had turned his umbrella inside out and he's decided to wait out the storm rather than run home. He pushes his hand through his hair, shaking off any errant drops, and steps inside into the warmth. 

"Hi Kyuhyun," Ryeowook calls from behind the counter. "Coffee?" Kyuhyun nods. "Take a seat, I'll bring it to you."

Kyuhyun takes his usual seat in an armchair by the window. This is his favourite cafe, located halfway between his apartment and his office. He's been visiting for years, normally stopping by on his way to work or during lunch, but today he's out of his routine. It feels a bit strange to be here so late in the day.

Ryeowook brings over a coffee, and Kyuhyun smiles up at him gratefully, cupping his hands around the mug to warm them. The cafe is quiet, with Kyuhyun the only customer. He pulls out some papers from his bag and starts checking his latest report, barely registering when someone else enters. He only looks up at Ryeowook's louder than usual greeting.

"Zhou Mi! It's been so long!" Ryeowook comes out from behind the counter to throw himself at a tall, slim man - Zhou Mi - in a big hug. Kyuhyun is surprised to see the show of affection. Although friendly enough, Ryeowook has always seemed slightly reserved.

Zhou Mi laughs, greeting Ryeowook in a soft voice and leaning down to return his hug. 

When Ryeowook releases him, Zhou Mi reaches into the messenger bag slung across his back and pulls something out. "I brought you a present," Kyuhyun hears him say as he hands over a small wrapped parcel. Raindrops glitter on Zhou Mi's hair and shoulders. They twinkle under the cafe lights with his movements. 

Kyuhyun tells himself that he shouldn't be eavesdropping, but there's something about Zhou Mi's voice - a musical lilt, a soft accent - that he finds intriguing. He wills him to turn around. He wants to see the face that goes with that low voice.

Ryeowook unwraps the gift carefully. "Oh Mi, thank you. It's beautiful. Did you finish it recently?" If Kyuhyun cranes his head, he can just make out that it's a canvas. It must be a picture? 

"You'll have to stop giving me your paintings soon. I'm running out of space to hang them."

The cafe walls are covered with canvases of varying size and Ryeowook's right - there's barely any free space left. They're mostly landscapes and cityscapes, and while they're all different from one another, there's something about them that indicates they're by the same painter. Kyuhyun has admired them a lot over the years, particularly the ones that depict fantasy cityscapes populated by impossible creatures and bright colours. They're wild and imaginative and free. He's always wondered who'd painted them. 

Ryeowook finds a space on the cafe wall that will just fit the latest painting. Zhou Mi takes the nail that Ryeowook has dug up from somewhere in the back and hammers it into the wall, gently placing the painting on the wall and adjusting it until it's level. Now that it's hung, Kyuhyun can see it clearly. The canvas is small - not much larger than a sheet of paper - and unlike most of the other paintings, it's devoid of colour. It's differing shades of grey, the brush strokes soft and blurred, depicting what could be a wide street with tall buildings on either side. There's two figures. It's not very clear, but it looks like they're facing one another.

There's a sense of peace in the painting. It's the strangest thing because there's hardly any detail. All the lines are soft and open to interpretation, but there's a gentle peace in it. It's like looking at a dream.

Ryeowook catches Kyuhyun staring at it. 

"Do you like it, Kyuhyun?" he asks.

"It's really beautiful," Kyuhuyun answers honestly, and Zhou Mi finally turns around.

"Thank you," he says warmly. Zhou Mi is strikingly handsome, with a long straight nose, a full bottom lip, and hair the colour of desert sand. But it's his eyes that capture Kyuhyun. They're dark and almond shaped, tilted up at the corners, and they give Kyuhyun a quick assessment before they soften in pleasure.

Zhou Mi turns to Ryeowook. "Wookie, I have to go. But I'll visit again soon." He leans down to give Ryeowook a goodbye hug and on his way out he stops by Kyuhyun's chair. Zhou Mi extends his hand out and introduces himself. 

"I'm Zhou Mi." 

Zhou Mi's hand is warm and firm against Kyuhyun's. "Kyuhyun. It's nice to meet the person who creates these paintings. I admire them every time I'm here." 

Zhou Mi gives him a bright, wide smile and something in Kyuhyun reacts, like a plant unfurling blindly towards the sun. "Thank you. See you again, Kyuhyun."

As he leaves the rain stops.

*

That night Kyuhyun dreams of a rainy city, and a smile that colours the world.

*

The second time Kyuhyun meets Zhou Mi, it's raining again. 

Kyuhyun is in a hurry. He forgot to set his alarm the night before and slept in. He's disheveled and he hates that feeling. Kyuhyun likes order and solutions and organisation. But today his hair is a mess, he hasn't shaved, and he's not sure he's buttoned up his shirt correctly. 

Despite his lateness, he still stops by the cafe to pick up a coffee. It's wet and grey: the kind of morning that requires caffeine. Plus he needs to fulfill at least one part of his morning routine or… or… he doesn't know what would happen exactly, but he knows it would be bad.

Fortunately there's only one person ahead of him when he arrives at the cafe. He looks at his watch and calms a little. He's not going to be too late. He waits to order, jiggling the coins in his pocket, when he hears a soft voice behind him.

"Kyuhyun?"

He turns around to find Zhou Mi smiling down at him. "Zhou Mi. Hi!"

The taller man tilts his head and appraises him with an amused expression. "You have some..." He bites his bottom lip and reaches his hand up to Kyuhyun's right cheek, his thumb rubbing softly at the skin. Kyuhyun freezes at the unexpected contact. "You had some toothpaste," Zhou Mi explains as he removes his hand. Kyuhyun notices that Zhou Mi's skin is speckled with tiny dots of paint - blue, yellow, red, white - like miniature coloured freckles. 

Kyuhyun stares at him. 

Zhou Mi's eyes are twinkling and he's still looking at him with that amused expression. "It's your turn to order."

"Right. Thanks," Kyuhyun sputters, cheeks flushing as he turns back to the counter to place his order. His face is hot and he's sure Ryeowook is laughing at him from behind the coffee machine. 

As he waits, Zhou Mi hums behind him, a tune that seems familiar but that he can't quite identify. He tries to think of something intelligent to say to him but it's too early. He can't seem to make his brain work. 

He really hopes that his shirt is buttoned up correctly.

And then it's too late. Ryeowook hands him his cup. "Have a nice day, Kyuhyun." 

"Have a nice day," Zhou Mi echoes in his musical voice. "See you again." 

*

He does see him again. After several chance meetings, Kyuhyun figures out that Zhou Mi only ever visits the cafe on rainy days. 

Not that he's noticed because he has a crush on the man. He doesn't.

One day he asks Ryeowook about Zhou Mi. It's a quiet period in the cafe, and Ryeowook has a moment to stop while bringing over Kyuhyun's order. 

"So all these paintings are by Zhou Mi?" 

Ryeowook gives him a knowing smile. "He has that effect on people."

Kyuhyun hates that he's so transparent. He takes a sip of his coffee and tries to bluff his way through. "Sorry?" 

Ryeowook looks at him so fondly Kyuhyun thinks that he's about to reach over and pat him on the head. "Zhou Mi and I had a couple of classes together at university before we convinced each other to drop out. Neither of us were really the academic type. We spent most of our classes doodling instead of taking notes."

They must have known each other for quite a while then. Kyuhyun wonders if they're friends or... _friends_. 

Kyuhyun swallows down the rising jealousy. "I noticed that he's only here when it's raining?"

"He's a painter. When the light is good, he's in his studio."

"Oh I see. That makes sense." Kyuhyun feels a bit stupid for not making the connection. 

Ryeowook tilts his head and then tells him, "He likes you."

"He does?" Hope flares through him.

"Well, he likes most people," Ryeowook says honestly. Kyuhyun feels the hope turn into disappointment as he realises that Ryeowook doesn't mean that Zhou Mi _likes_ him. He tells himself again that he doesn't have a crush. 

Ryeowook looks out the window and appraises the blue sky, saying casually. "I hear it's going to rain tomorrow. Zhou Mi often has breakfast with me on rainy Saturdays. He's usually here around 9am." He gives Kyuhyun a kind smile. "Enjoy your coffee. Let me know if you want anything else."

*

Saturday arrives, and the weather forecast was correct: it's raining.

Kyuhyun looks out his window at the grey sky and is unsure. Should he go to the cafe? What if Zhou Mi isn't there?

What if he _is_ there?

He's not sure which one he's more scared of.

It's close to 10am by the time Kyuhyun pulls himself out of his indecision and makes his way out of the apartment, umbrella in hand. When he arrives at the cafe, Zhou Mi is seated at a table near the counter with Ryeowook. 

"Ah, Kyuhyun!" Ryeowook sees him enter and beckons him over. "Come and keep Zhou Mi company while I do some work." He gets up, pushing Kyuhyun into one of the chairs. Ryeowook is tiny but strong, and Kyuhyun sits down with a heavy flop. 

"Hi," he says shyly to Zhou Mi. 

He's greeted with a radiant smile. "Morning, Kyuhyun. It's good to see you again." Zhou Mi always looks so happy to see him. 

They fall into an easy conversation. Sometimes Kyuhyun is a bit awkward with people he doesn't know well, but talking to Zhou Mi is effortless. The man has a talent for making conversation, for making Kyuhyun feel at ease. It's nice. Zhou Mi is nice. Kyuhyun can't deny it any longer - he has a (small, tiny) crush. 

Ryeowook comes past with a croissant for Kyuhyun, knowing that buttery pastries are his weakness. "Nice to see you two getting along," he teases as he places it in front of Kyuhyun. 

"Kyuhyun?" Zhou Mi clasps his hands together and gives him a steady look. 

Kyuhyun brushes the crumbs off his hands and hopes there's nothing on his face. "Yes?"

"Will you have dinner with me?" 

A slow smile spreads across Kyuhyun's face. "Yes. I'd love to." 

"Great." Zhou Mi reaches across the table, cupping Kyuhyun's cheek with his hand, thumb stroking gently. 

Kyuhyun freezes at the contact. "Do I... do I have crumbs on my face?"

Zhou Mi smiles and shakes his head. "No." He doesn't remove his hand. It's warm against Kyuhyun's face.

His (tiny, insignificant) crush sparks into a roaring fire. 

*

Kyuhyun dreams that he's floating in a sapphire blue ocean. The waves are singing him a muffled melody. He feels warm and safe.

He wakes up with a smile.

*

Zhou Mi opens his eyes to a memory of a dream flickering on the back of his eyelids. Faced with a blank canvas, he picks up his paintbrush, dipping the bristles into an oily blue and starts to paint. 

*

"Please, let me pay." Kyuhyun holds his hand out for the bill. He hasn't enjoyed a date so much in a long time - or perhaps ever. He's determined to pay for dinner but Zhou Mi shakes his head, refusing to let it go.

"No, no. I asked you. It's on me." He gives Kyuhyun a cheeky smile. "You can pay for the next date."

Another date. Kyuhyun likes the sound of that. He also really likes Zhou Mi. He's sweet, and charming, and sunnily cheerful. He has a silly sense of humour and laughs loudly at his own jokes, and he's creative and imaginative and... 

Kyuhyun doesn't want to get ahead of himself. It's still early - it's only their first date - but... Kyuhyun really likes him. He hopes the feeling is mutual.

They leave the restaurant. The day had been hot and clear, and it's turned into a lovely evening: balmy and still. Zhou Mi links his arm through Kyuhyun's as they walk down the street.

They pass by an art gallery and stop to peer in the window. 

"Did you paint today?" Kyuhyun asks him.

"I did. I got a lot done." Zhou Mi points out one of the pictures they can see hanging at the back of the gallery. "A friend of mine painted that one," he says in a pleased tone. "I recognise his style." 

"Are any of yours hanging here?"

Zhou Mi laughs and shakes his head. "No, no. I don't really show my work. They mostly go to private collectors. My agent takes care of my sales."

"I'd love to see more of your paintings," Kyuhyun hints. 

"Well... it's still early. I can show you some at my studio?" 

Kyuhyun hadn't actually intended to invite himself over. He had wanted Zhou Mi to show him more paintings in the future, but he's not going to turn down the opportunity. 

Zhou Mi's studio is within walking distance, in a quiet tree lined street a couple of blocks from Ryeowook's cafe. Zhou Mi leads Kyuhyun into a low rise three storey brick building, and takes him up the stairs to the top floor. 

The apartment is expansive, a large mostly open space with large floor to ceiling windows that take over the entirety of what would be one wall. 

"You don't have much furniture," Kyuhyun tells him as he looks around. There's not much in the space except for curtainless windows, paintings, a soft looking couch, an easel and a small paint splattered table. Zhou Mi laughs, pulling Kyuhyun along in a quick tour.

"There's other rooms. But this main room is where I do my painting." He shows Kyuhyun the other rooms - a bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, a study, and another room that Zhou Mi seems to use as a living room.

All the walls of Zhou Mi's apartment, in all the rooms except for the bathroom, are covered in paintings. It's like being surrounded in a riotous splash of colour and imagery. Kyuhyun loves it.

They walk back into the main studio, and Kyuhyun wanders over to the easel standing by the window.

"Is this what you're working on?" 

"Yup. I started it a few days ago." Zhou Mi turns the lights up so he can see it more clearly. 

Kyuhyun's breath catches and a shiver runs up his spine as he stares at the picture. "This... it can't be..." 

It's blue, so blue, from edge to edge. In the middle Zhou Mi has painted an indistinct figure stretched on their back, arms out. As Kyuhyun stares at it in disbelief, music echoes in his mind. 

It's like his dream.

No. The more Kyuhyun looks at it, the more sure he is. It _is_ his dream.

"How did you... How?" 

Zhou Mi moves closer, slinging his arm around Kyuhyun's waist. He flinches and pulls away, wrapping his arms around himself defensively. 

"Sometimes... sometimes I paint dreams," Zhou Mi tells him softly, hesitantly. "This was yours, wasn't it?" 

"It's impossible." 

Zhou Mi shakes his head. His eyes, normally so full of laughter, are serious. "You can see it. It's there in front of you."

Kyuhyun refuses to believe it. It's not possible. "This is a trick. It's a trick. I don't know what game you're playing but... I can't do this." Kyuhyun backs away. He can't breathe. He has to go, has to leave. He all but runs out the door. Zhou Mi lets him go.

*

Kyuhyun sleeps uneasily. He tosses and turns. He's too hot, too cold, too tense. He dreams he's falling off a building, the ground rushing up to meet him. 

He wakes up before he hits the ground.

*

Zhou Mi doesn't sleep. He leans his forehead against the window and watches the black sky fade into red and yellow and orange. 

*

Kyuhyun dreams of Zhou Mi. 

Zhou Mi asks him, "What are you so afraid of?"

Kyuhyun doesn't know how to respond. There's so many things he's afraid of. He's afraid of getting hurt. He's afraid that he's being tricked. He's afraid that he's going crazy. He's afraid of his dreams. 

Zhou Mi takes his hand and sighs. His mouth is turned down and his eyes are wistful. "I understand," he says. Even when he looks sad, he's still so beautiful. Kyuhyun looks down at their clasped hands. Colours are running off Zhou Mi's skin onto his own, the viscosity of paint. 

Kyuhyun is afraid that he doesn't understand. That he'll never understand. He tries to tell this to Zhou Mi. "I don't understand. Can you explain it to me?" 

"You have to figure it out yourself," Zhou Mi tells him sadly. With his other hand he trails his fingers down Kyuhyun's cheek and -

Kyuhyun wakes up. 

He can still feel Zhou Mi's touch on his face. Icy fingers of fear are still wrapped around his heart. 

*

Kyuhyun stops dreaming.

*

Zhou Mi wanders between reality and dreams. 

When he opens his eyes, he paints what he's seen. 

Sometimes it makes his heart hurt. What he really wants to do is to paint what he desires. 

But he can't. It's like a curse. He can only paint other people's dreams into reality and not his own. 

*

It's weeks before Kyuhyun can bring himself to stop by the cafe again. It's stupid, but he's embarrassed. He wonders what Zhou Mi has told Ryeowook.

Outside the sun is shining. It hasn't rained in weeks. It's going to be a long, dry summer. 

"Ah, Kyuhyun!" Ryeowook is pleased to see him. "It's been a while," he says, though not in a judgemental way. 

"Sorry. I've been busy." He knows that Ryeowook sees right through him but he tells the lie anyway.. 

"It's good to see you." Ryeowook reaches up and pats him on the shoulder. "Are you staying or do you want a drink to take away?"

"I'll stay." Kyuhyun takes his usual seat by the window. It feels strange to be back here. He looks around and everything is the same. But he's different. 

Ryeowook comes up, hesitant. "It's not my place, but... I'll just say this one thing and then I won't ever bring it up again," he says quickly, not letting Kyuhyun interrupt him. "Zhou Mi told me not to say anything but I can't... he's my friend." Ryeowook takes a deep breath. "Kyuhyun, there's lots of things in this world that seem impossible. But they still exist, they still happen. Just because it's beyond your understanding doesn't mean it's a trick. I've never understood it, but I know that Zhou Mi is real. And what he does is real." 

He hands over a coffee and a cookie, a peace offering, and retreats. 

The air conditioner hums in the background and there's a low murmur of conversation from the other customers in the store. Kyuhyun stares out the window at the sun baked street, and finds himself wishing for rain.

*

At work, Kyuhyun deals with numbers.

Numbers are safe. They're orderly. Numbers stay where he puts them. Numbers don't pull themselves out of a dream and plaster themselves on a canvas. 

Kyuhyun's boss comes up to his desk, a file in his hand. "Is everything okay, Kyuhyun?" He looks worried. He taps the file on the edge of Kyuhyun's desk absentmindedly. 

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Kyuhyun looks up at him. "Yes?" He wants to snatch the file out of his boss's hand to stop the noise.

"You seem distracted lately. This is not... it's not up to your usual standard. Are you sure everything is okay?"

Kyuhyun frowns. He'd checked it and double checked that report. "Can I have a look?" He takes the file and opens it. 

A chill crawls through him, spiders walking up and down his skin, as he realises what he's looking at.

This is not what he submitted. The numbers have moved. He swears he didn't do this. He starts to explain, to tell his boss the truth, but the excuses die on his lips. 

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. I'll be more careful in future." He stares at the paper until the numbers start swimming in his vision.

*

He still doesn't dream. The sky refuses to rain.

*

The heat has become oppressive. There's no escaping it. The sun beats down and the city radiates warmth upwards and everything is caught in the middle. People walk down the streets fanning themselves to no avail, sticking close to the shadows. 

Kyuhyun runs up the stairs of Zhou Mi's building, sweat beading on his forehead and rolling down his back. 

He bangs loudly on the door. "Zhou Mi! Zhou Mi!" 

There's no answer. He puts his ear to the door. He can hear music playing inside. Zhou Mi must be in there. He tries knocking again, pounding his frustration into the wood, but still Zhou Mi doesn't answer. 

Finally, he tries the door handle in annoyance. The door opens under his hand.

Zhou Mi is painting, standing at the easel with his back to the door. Kyuhyun calls out to him. "Zhou Mi!" Zhou Mi ignores him. 

"Mi?" He walks up behind him and puts his hand on Zhou Mi's shoulder. It's so warm in the room, but Zhou Mi's skin is cool. He takes a look at Zhou Mi's face. His eyes are closed but his right hand is moving over the canvas in slow strokes.

Kyuhyun is being crushed by fear. What is this? "Mi?" He gives him a gentle shake, willing him to wake up. 

Zhou Mi gasps and his eyes flutter open. The brush in his hand drops to the floor with a loud clatter that echoes in the room. 

"Kyuhyun? What are you doing here?" 

"I came to..." Kyuhyun shakes his head. He doesn't really know why he's here. 

It's so hot. The air is heavy in his lungs and on his skin. 

"Why did you take my dreams?" he questions demandingly.

"I didn't." 

"You must've. You did _something_." 

Zhou Mi expression is sincere. He holds his hands up placatingly, his skin still covered in flecks of paint. "I swear, I didn't do anything." 

"Then why have I stopped dreaming?" Suddenly Kyuhyun is furious. Before he met Zhou Mi, everything made sense. Before he met Zhou Mi, his world had order and he had control. Now nothing makes sense and it makes him angry. How can he be safe if there's nothing anchoring him? 

And it's so _hot._

"You don't understand. I don't control it." 

"You did something. Fix it. FIX IT." 

Zhou Mi cups Kyuhyun's cheek with his palm. Zhou Mi's skin is like ice. Kyuhyun can't stand it anymore. 

He curls his hand on the back of Zhou Mi's neck and pulls him down into a rough kiss. It's furious and desperate, all teeth and tongues and pent up desire. Kyuhyun releases his anger into Zhou Mi's mouth. He wants Zhou Mi to know how it feels to be spinning out of control. Kyuhyun wants… he wants… 

He wants to believe the impossible. 

Panting, he pulls away. He looks into Zhou Mi's eyes. "Who are you?"

Zhou Mi smiles, his lips red and kiss swollen. "My name is Zhou Mi. I paint dreams." 

Kyuhyun takes a deep breath. He's adrift. It's frightening and exhilarating at the same time. It's that moment - that feeling - when you take a leap and you're not sure whether you're going to fall or fly. This is insanity, the rational part of himself shrieks. Another part, a part that he had locked away, nods in acceptance and asks Zhou Mi, "Will you paint mine?"

There's a bright laugh as relief fills through Zhou Mi's eyes. "Yes. I will." 

*

In the distance, lightning flashes.


End file.
